DPA Relaunches as the Natural Diamond Council

RAPAPORT... The Diamond Producers Association (DPA) has unveiled a new name and strategy it hopes will resonate with younger consumers and position it as a leading digital publisher of information about diamonds.The category-marketing organization is now the Natural Diamond Council (NDC), with its new consumer website - naturaldiamonds.com - serving as a resource and educational hub, executives said at a launch Monday."Our new digital platforms will inspire and inform consumers globally about the values and heritage of natural diamonds, as well as promoting the significant innovation happening throughout the world of diamond jewelry," said Kristina Buckley Kayel, the NDC's managing director. "The younger audience is clearly engaged and inspired when we present ourselves with authority in the digital world."The website will include articles by veteran jewelry journalists Jill Newman, Marion Fasel and Carol Woolton, with coverage published according to categories such as "epic diamonds," "Hollywood and pop culture," and "inside the diamond world." It will also launch a biannual report forecasting natural-diamond jewelry trends, intended as a guide for retailers and a reference for consumer publications."We need to speak to the younger audience in a different way," CEO David Kellie stressed while presenting the group's mission in a webinar.Only naturalWith its website as a focal point, the NDC aims to become "the go-to digital publisher" for innovative content covering all that's new and exciting in the industry. It will continue to invest in its global advertising efforts.Seven mining companies, notably De Beers and Alrosa, launched the DPA in 2015 to promote diamonds at a category level, embarking on its "Real Is Rare, Real Is a Diamond" marketing campaign. The group brought in Kellie, a former marketing executive at Ralph Lauren, as CEO in December last year.The DPA planned the overhaul before the Covid-19 crisis pushed the global economy into a downturn that resulted in a slump in diamond demand, Kellie noted. However, he sees an opportunity for the industry in the crisis that will help steer the new-look organization. "As the [economic] climate improves, natural diamonds will connect stronger than ever before," Kellie predicted. "Consumers will have a greater respect for all things natural and seek brands that have an honest mission to be truly sustainable. They'll be purchasing luxury goods with a greater meaning, particularly those celebrating connections between friends and loved ones."The NDC is hoping to encapsulate that emphasis on natural things via its new consumer campaign, adopting the tagline "Only Natural Diamonds" to replace "Real Is Rare." In doing so, Kellie stressed the mission of the newly branded organization was not to attack the lab-grown sector, but to ensure the "integrity" of the diamond industry.A trade resourceThe organization will initially target the US and European markets, and will roll out its new agenda in Asia on July 1. It will focus on its online and social-media activities over the summer, before launching a holiday campaign in September, Kellie explained last month in an online session organized by De Beers.As part of the relaunch, the NDC has also unveiled a new trade website - naturaldiamondcouncil.com - which will serve as a resource portal for diamond professionals. It includes customizable marketing materials, e-learning programs and industry news.Image: From the Only Natural Diamonds campaign. (Natural Diamond Council)